Blood and Vengance
by The 483
Summary: A Sangheili Councilor escapes from imprisonment on high charity when the fllod attacks, and gathers forces to assult the traitorous species of the covenant.
1. Chapter 1

**Blood and Vengance**

Oh, wow, a Halo story, who could have possibly seen this coming?

I don't own anything that is actually Halo.

1# A setup of galactic proportions

High Councilor Dohl Scatozee was having an extraordinarily bad day. He had been sitting in his office deep within the holy city of high charity, when four of the filthy brute barged in unannounced. He was about to ream them for the outrageous breech in protocol, when he realized that the beasts where in the armor of Honor guards of the Prophets! He checked his speech with the gesture of puzzlement that they did not recognize. His anger shifted to the background as the politician of ten years took over.

"May I help you, Gentle Beings?" He said, coldly. The Leader, his mane shot with silver streaks amongst the crimson, let out a barking laugh,

"Are you not curious," he growled, "as to why we come here, in the armor of the protectors the holy ones?" Dohl could see the pride shining in the beady, hungry eyes of the brute. _Pitiful,_ he thought, _just the thought of knowing something that we might not makes the beast feel proud._

"I had wondered why you and your kin have taken to infesting _our_ armor with the filthy parasites you carry in your fur, but was more impress that you have manages to say an entire line of speech without drooling or pausing to chew on yourself." He said it matter of factly and was actually a bit surprised when it roared and in a blur of motion unclipped a red plasma rifle from its harness and clipped him in the side of the head hard enough to send him flying into the wall, and swimming into blackness.

Indignant hissing and a mixture of excited and yelping was the first thing that greeted Dohl when he came to. A splitting headache followed quickly after.

"Miserable beasts…" he muttered as he opened his eyes and blinked away the fog clouding his consciousness. He slowly lifted his head, absorbing and banishing the pain from his awareness, but keeping the pain in his motions. No reason to show the animals that he was perfectly fine. He slowed his movements as he realized that his councilor's helmet was not in place. He rose to his feet, and glanced around. He was in a cell somewhere within the multi level detention center within the depths of the holy city. His Eyes widened as he looked to the back of the cell. "My brothers!" He called, and hobbled to a pile of three of other Sangheili, two in the silver armor of fellow Councilors, and one in the crimson of a sergeant. The two Councilors were dead, lying in a pool of drying purple blood, necks twisted and tore open. The sergeant, however, was not. His eyes fluttered at Dohl's words, and then widened. His armor was covered in dings and scratches and burn marks.

"Councilor! I thought the beasts had slaughtered you all!" he said, pride and astonishment washing through his voice.

"By the Prophets, brother what are the treacherous Jiralhanae done?" Dohl asked, as a series of explosions echoed across the city.

"This is indeed "by the Prophets," Excellency! The bastard Prophets have allied themselves with the beasts, and ordered the complete annihilation of the Sangheili!" In the still are Dohl heard the chieftain of the Jiralhanae say something about demons. Dohl patted himself down, checking for his rifle or energy sword, both of which he found missing. He reached around to his back, and pressed a hidden switch, a small hole irised open, and a foot long silver pole slid out into his hand. Hefting it, he turned to The Sergeant.

"Can you fight, Brother…? He left it open.

"Xhef, Excellency," he said, hopping to his hooves, "And I hunger to regain my honor!" He clicked his top mandibles in anger. "I am yours to command." He bowed deeply.

"Good," he would need this veterans support. "Where are we?"

"We are in the lowest cell block in the _Chambers of Desolation._ There has been numerous reports of a demon aboard high charity, and from what I can tell, many of are brothers are still fighting and killing the beasts." Dohl thought quickly, he was familiar with the energy barrier, and without his plasma blade, he had no chance of getting through. He glanced through the translucent shield, and noticed that the hallway held only 4 Kig-Yar, gathered around a table, squawking and chittering. Through a brake in their bodies, he saw that they were fighting over his helmet. Several plasma pistols and grenades were also lying about the table. A fifth Jackal stalked up and down the hall, orange shield ablaze. He turned back to Xhef. "Be ready, brother, for I have had a small explosive device secretly installed within my helmet, which the Kig-Yar are squabbling over." He tossed him the pole, and he deftly caught it and it grew another foot and a half from each end, into a full staff. "I will detonate it, and the magnetism from the plasma grenades should deactivate the fields. Take out the Major Jackal, while I finish the Minors." Xhef gave a short nod and crouched by the side of the door. The orange shielded Jackal walked past and then there was a brilliant sapphire flare outside the shield, then on the shield. It blinked twice, and then faded. Dohl was out the door and on the Jackals in less then 2 seconds after the door failed, and 6 seconds later, tree Jackals lay dead on the floor, burned and with their faces pointing backward, necks broken. One lost its head in the initial explosion, splattering the wall with blue-black gore. He turned to see Xhef removing the staff from the chest of the Major Jackal. He policed the Jackal's pistol and shield gauntlet, popped it on, and took up a position covering the entrance. Dohl liked that, and policed the other pistols and shield gauntlets, and went to join his comrade at the door. Half way, the deck shook and a sub-sonic growl shook his bones, and he turned to the cell to his left, to face his death stiff backed and head up. Not even the mightiest of Sangheili warriors took on a Mgalekgolo pair with just a pair of plasma pistols and lived. He stared directly at the head of the lead hunter as they halted just within striking range.

"My mate and I thank you for releasing us." It rumbled. "We would like the honor of joining you in battle, Sangeili."

"Myself and my brother would be pleased and honored for you to join us." Dohl answered carefully, "May our descendant's sing of our coming struggles in our family's war poems." The Hunters thrummed their pleasure at the honorific and the knowledge of their ways. "We head for the armory, and then to join our brothers in battle! Will your mate and yourself honor us by leading the charge?" The Hunters purred there approval so heartily that his bones shook, crouched behind their meter thick shield arms, and charged forward.

20 minutes later the hunters stormed out of the main grav lift and in to the atrium. The atrium was directly in the center of the city, 5 square miles of flora from grasses and trees, to water plants in the lake and streams. Following the Hunters came a wave of 16 Unggoy, who four rows of 4, with a red armored veteran grunt at the rear of each row. They took position between the pair of hunters, plasma pistols and needlers crackling with energy. Four blue armored Elites wielding plasma rifles took their places behind the hunters. Xhef hefted a Carbine and marched to the left rear center of the phalanx as Dohl took the right rear. He had appropriated a set of white special operations armor, and surveyed the raging battle. Drones flitted across the open space, flushing elites from cover, blue beams flashed as Kig-Yar snipers took targets. Blue, green, red and purple strobed the darkness as the species clashed, and Truths voice occasionally boomed updates and encouragements to the Jiralhanae.

"My brothers, and fellow warriors'" Dohl shouted at the assemblage, "The Parasite has tainted the city with its loathsome presence, so we are retreating. We shall march to the other side of the dome, cut straight down the middle, and burn anything that stands in our way!" A roar approval rippled through the phalanx. "We shall then take a ship, gather our strengths, and assault the treacherous Prophets and bastard Brutes!" he lit his plasma sword, roared, mandibles spread, and charges, as the rest charged after him.


	2. The requisition of Glorious Sacrifice

**Blood and Vengance**

Oh, wow, a Halo story, who could have possibly seen this coming?

I don't own anything that is actually Halo.

1# The requisition of the _Glorious Sacrifice_

The charge went well, for the first 30 seconds or so. Dohl ran up a small hill where four brutes were pouring fire down upon the recess on the other side, with support from a pair of grunts on shades. He grabbed the first brute by the throat, and stabbed strait through the beast center with his plasma blade, to a satisfied howl of pain and rage. He swung upward, then planted a hoof on the beast's posterior and pushed it down the hill. He turned to the side, sword still high in the air and bisected it's partner diagonally, taking in the smell of scorched fur. Twin lances of emerald fire washed over the two shades, their metal melting and twisting. The grunts aboard methane tanks popped like firecrackers and spewed chunks of roasted meat showered the hill top. The remaining two brutes burst into flame and tumbled down the hill as they were drown in a hail of blue and green plasma. The Hunters stomped up and brushed the smoldering wreckage of the shades out of the way. Their fuel rod cannons glowed as they cycled settings. They angled the barrels up, and launched concentrated bolts onto the neighboring hillside, exploding it into a geyser of dirt and green haze. It was at that moment that an explosion caught Dohl in the knees, knocking him forward and draining his shields to half. The screaming of the grunts caught his attention, followed closely by the repeated fire of a carbine.

"The Blasted Parasite has caught us from behind!" Xhef growled. Dohl turned, and saw three grunts down, and the rest covered with potato shaped infection forms.

"Mgalekgolo!" Dohl shouted, "Burn the Unggoy, lest the become puppets of the parasites!" The Hunters growled, turned, and swept the grunts with there fuel rod beams. They exploded into flames as the small flood forms popped in the cascade of energy. "You are to burn anyone who is taken by the parasite. Move to the hanger, quickly!" The hunters rumbled their approval, and took position at the rear of the column, which now consisted of the six Sangheili. They ran shooting flood forms, infected Covenant, and anything that shot at them. Half and hour later, they were within weapons range of the grav lift to the main hanger on _High Charity_. They ducked behind a large metal berm, and Dohl and Xhef surveyed the situation. 14 brutes and 4 shades stood between them and the lift. Their forces had grown during their trek through the atrium. Now sixteen blue armored Sangheili, 40 orange armored and 7 red armored Unggoy, and a second pair of hunters had joined their ranks.

"Mgalekgolo, take the shades. Snipers, take the pack leaders, everyone else, drown them in a sea of fire!" Four missiles of green death detonated the shades a split second after four violet bolts of radiation dropped the pack leaders to the ground. The rest of the brutes were dazed by the exploding shades, and were quickly feel under a barrage of green and blue plasma, green radiation, and purple needles. As one, the Unggoy swarmed over the berm and charged up the lift. The blue armored Sangheili followed, then the hunters, and finally Dohl and Xhef. They were irked that the Unggoy had charged ahead, The Sangheili always striving to be the first into battle. The floated gently to the deck in the main hanger, Dohl with his sword ready, and Xhef sweeping the space with his carbine. The deck was spattered almost in entirety with a rainbow of gore. Bodies of all the races of the covenant were strewn about the decks, and piled in heaps. The cavernous space was almost empty, with only one CPV class Destroyer still docked. Hisses sounded as re-supply hoses detached from its hull, and the engines started spooling up.

"Quickly, my brothers, before the ship can flee!" He charged before he finished speaking and loped speedily across the deck plates, reaching a speed of 30 miles an hour thanks to his twin sets of knees. They crossed the room in a matter of seconds, and bounded through the Destroyer's main hanger as the massive hanger door started to slide shut. His fell Elites swarmed in, followed by the Hunters, and finally the wave of Grunts as the door was almost shut. An orange armored Grunt screamed as it tripped, and the door closed on it. There was another hiss as the docking clamps released, and harsh vibrations shook the deck as the engines took the ship out of _High Charity._ The gravity fluttered as they cleared the planetoid, and the ships systems kicked in.

Dohl crouched in the corner, waiting while Xhef interface with the ships data network.

"So far," he growl, addressing the troops arrayed around him, "we have learned, that this ship is called _Glorious Sacrifice_. It **IS** a sangheili ship but it has been _captured_," he rolled the word with disgust, "by a council Prophet and his personal body guard. The _good_ news, however, is that with the exception of the ship master, a good number of the ships crew is still alive, and confined to the ships Brigg. Xhef will take six Sangheili and the balance of the Unggoy and free our comrades. The ten others with the rest of the Unggoy and a Mgalekgolo pair shall take the engine section and lock it down so that it cannot be accessed from the bridge. You will then hold the compartment, until Xhef or myself personally go down and relieve you. I shall take the other hunter pair and retake the bridge. Xhef, once our brothers are free, get down to engineering, and collect the Huragok, I expect there shall be some equipment that will need to be replaced." His mandible twisted into a predatory grin.


	3. They'renot as frail as they look

**Blood and Vengance**

Already chapter 3? Didn't think I'd make it this far…

I don't own anything that is actually Halo.

1# They're… not as frail as they look…

Dohl crouched on the right side of the main entrance to the bridge, and typed furiously on the control panel. The trek to the bridge was mostly uneventful, with three small clutches of grunts and a single Jiralhanae, all neutralized with no fuss. He growled to the Mgalekgolo.

"In three minutes, the doors will slide open. I would be a great service to myself and _our_ brothers, most esteemed brethren Nghua Sovo Wylho, and Hrova Sovo Ignja, if, when the door opens, you would then proceed to Atomize the traitorous filth that has stained our honor with their existence." To Dohl's satisfaction, the Hunters grumbled happily and the sensory spines flickered their approval. For once, Dohl was glad of his political background, and, most particularly, his study of the seemingly heretical Lekgolo. There lack of care for the religious aspects of the Covenant was at first insulting to Dohl, but luckily, that just fueled him to learn more about the sentient worm colonies.

"We thank you, Brother, for your unusual amount of knowledge of our people. Indeed we would be overjoyed to deliver these unrefined beasts to their well deserved fate. We are honored to be counted as brothers to a warrior's line such as yours." As one, they rose to their full thirteen foot height, gave a sweeping bow with their shield arms swirling a complicated, and supremely graceful flourish. "We have not seen such courtesy since the Arbiter prevented the silencing of the _poem of the ages._" The pair then contracted into their armor, bulking up but becoming only 8 0or nine feet tall. If Dohl had had eyebrows, they would have arched in puzzlement. Could this pair have known the Arbiter that participated in the "Taming of the Hunters?" Was that entry in the archive inappropriately named? The more he learned, the more civilized he found them. Maybe because of their composition, they did not truly die as long as one eel still lived to reform the colony. Or maybe they shared a racial memory of sorts?

"Thank you, my brothers, may our family's poems never fall silent. I shall slip through the maintenance passage, and shatter the treacherous prophet one bone at a time." He drew his silver rod, and flicked the maintenance passage's access switch, and shuffled in.

Three minutes later, the door slid open, and emerald fire washed the bridge, melting holographic control surfaces, and igniting grunts and brutes alike. The lone prophet scooted forward on its hover chair, upon the raised central section of the bridge. He was to busy shouting orders at the surviving loyal troops to notice that the maintenance hatch slide open, and a white armored elite slide silently out. The remainder of the brutes fell, and the prophet yelled to the Hunter pair that guarded him. The Hunters roared, leaped of the raised portion, landing with a thud that shook the entire bridge. Giant metal shields clashed with such force that the air jumped, and fuel cannons slammed blue armor. Dohl crept up on the slightly bobbing chair. He stood as he got within a foot of it, and raised the metal staff with both hand, and plunged the tip into the seat. The anti-grav generator failed, and the chair clattered to the deck. Dohl's eyes widened, for the prophet was not impaled upon the pole. A red blur swept up from under the edge of the raised platform, and connected with his head, knocking him back and down, and draining his shields by a quarter.

"Ah, predictable Sangheili, sending others to take the lesser targets so that you may take the glory of the prized kill." The prophet hissed, and as Dohl looked up, the prophet dropped its red robes, revealing a skin tight blue body suit, and picked up the silver pole from his throne. Dohl stood, and grinned.

"You wish to challenge me in a physical contest?" Dohl grinned, and darted forward, slashing at the slender figure. The prophet jumped sideways rolling up Dohl's arm, pivoting, and smacking him in the back of the head with the pole hard enough that he saw stars despite his shields. He landed in a heap, and rose slowly.

"Your kind seems to have forgotten the war that almost destroyed our races, and, that we were near equals in armed combat." Dohl leapt up and slashed with an uppercut, the prophet spun, and lashed out again with the rod, knocking his shield flat, and drawing a spurt of purple blood. Dohl growled, the _Damned_ bastard was too quick! His awesome physical prowess was no use when he could hit the damn thing! He detached his energy sword, flicked his wrist, and it roared to life.

"Oh, so you want to play it that way?" The prophet hissed. He spun the pole slowly, a flat blade of sapphire plasma sliding from each end. They both leapt at each other, sparks flying as hissing plasma connected. They jumped and spun, dodged and lunged, digging gouges out of the deck plates and shattering displays. As the prophet, swung, Dohl stepped forward and met the blow, bouncing the blow back. He then swung upward, bisecting the pole, both halves spinning away, and then swinging it down, the prophet's head toppling to the floor. He limped up the comm panel, locate the parts of the ship his people occupied, and flipped the channel open.

"My brothers," His voice was rasping, "sweep the ship, burn the traitors! Xhef, I'm sending the Mgalekgolo to lead the force. Bring the Huragok, and an aid kit, then take a group of warriors to supplement the engine room gaurds." Xhef answered affirmative, and queried his status. "Let's just say… that the Prophets… they're… not as frail as they look."


	4. Angel and Demon

**Blood and Vengance**

Already chapter 4? Didn't think I'd make it this far…

I don't own anything that is actually Halo.

4# Angel and Demon

It took a full 4 cycles for the Huragok to repair the damage the sparring had done to the bridge, and to get the sabotaged engine back up to full working capacity. They had tried to contact the Hierarchy of War with the Supreme admiral, gathering a grand fleet to strike back at the enemy Covenant. They were met only with a null signal, but they had to drop it, because more pressing matters tugged at their attention. The flood had completely consumed the Holy City of High Charity, and the remainder of the Brute ships had been vaporized. They had begun to fire upon the city, when the damn thing jumped into Slipspace. They pursued with the group of ships collectively under the command of the Elite Rtas Vadumee, or Half Jaw, who was nominally in charge while contact with the Supreme Fleet. They had been in slipspace for only a short while when the ship shook like a thing possesed.

"Excellency, the Slipspace drive core has overloaded! The capacitors are draining rapidly, we cannot remain with the fleet, re-entering normal space in seven deci-units." The XO reported in a flat voice. Dohl Snapped orders with a bored inflection, like he expected the outcome.

"Communications Technician, send a message to Admiral Vadumee telling him or problem." The Tech was already on it, and growled an acknowledgement. He spoke aloud to the main speaker system on the bridge.

"Engineering, report!" A blue armored elite's back appeared on a mid air display. He fired a series of radiated spikes from his Carbine at an unseen thing. He spoke without turning.

"The bastard brutes sabotaged the Trans-light Energy Core while we took the bridge." His shields flared as green plasma washed over his cover, and he primed and threw a Plasma Grenade.

"Do you need assistance?" Dohl asked, and the tech turned and gave the Sangheili equivalent of a predatory grin.

"No, Excellency, I can handle these treacherous Kig-Yar." Dohl switched focus and the screen snapped off.

"Bring all weapons systems on full, run a sweep of all secondary systems, prep all available combat staff for a full sweep of the ship, with Engineers reading to go over every inch of the ship for possible sabotage." The ship lurched and the lights dimmed as the ship transitioned to normal space. The navigator immediately began scanning nearby space for navigational marks. The chief security officer took off with all non necessary personal, to begin the task of coming every space in the ship. The floating imaged reappeared, and a red Elite was on screen, his left arm hanging limp and useless to his side, to which he paid no heed.

"Excellency, the main Slipspace matrix is uninjured, but the particle accelerator dive is melted beyond the abilities of the Huragok to repair. We cannot make the jump back into Slipspace." Finishing his report, the screen snapped off. The Nav officer interjected.

"Excellency, there is another vessel in this region of space. A Kig-Yar Pirate vessel of sufficent size to carry a Translight Drive Core."

"Hail them and tell them they are will join us, or we will exterminate them and take there ship." The screen appeared in the air on the command dais, and an image resolved. A green helmet with a gold visor seemed to stare ominously at Dohl. His Jaws flared outward as he roared, "DEMON!".

"Europa, status report." Spartan 102 stated calmly.

"Please…" A warm contralto replied through his in helmet speaker. He uttered a heartfelt expletive, and then the desired word.

"That's better, Jason. We have just entered the upper atmosphere of New Constantinople, standard dispersal. If the drop continues as planed, we will hit ground third, just after Marcus. One carrier is currently in side the atmosphere, with a cruiser and two destroyers in a parking orbit. The fleet is engaging now. The objective is still contained, but radio traffic indicates that the base perimeter had just been breeched. 3 minutes to ground." His signaled for his HUD to display the map, but nothing happened. He sighed, though damn pesky A.I.s, and spoke.

"Thank you, Europa." He could feel her warm, sly, smile.

"Your welcome, and I heard that" He knew that while the A.I.'s could access certain synapses and reflexes through his Neural Interface, but the big brains at ONI continued the assurances that they could not read his mind. His HUD displayed a topographical map of the surrounding area. Actual enemy movements and probable movements were shown, along with projected landing sites and times ticking down. She continued talking.

"Major Lopa wants you on the right flank sweeping up behind the enemies projected here," she strobbed and area of the map on the east wall of the base, "while the he, Moscof, and Marcus take the west flank. Then we regroup with Jones, Mahmoud, and Fornesca in the main base." She seemed to hesitate, which Jason new was a bad sign. "Incoming shade fire, taking evasive actions… standby." She said it in as calm a voice as she had made him say please. There was a painful jerk sideways, then a heavier jerk as the main shoot of his drop pod fired. It snapped free, and the pod dropped like a rock. "30 to dirt," she said in the same soothingly calm voice, as the secondary chute slowed him out of terminal velocity before the brake jets cut in. The pod hit the dirt hard, the door exploded off, and Jason jumped free. He rolled, his armor's shields flaring as he hit and covered behind a large rock.

His armor was as current as John, Linda, Kelly, and Fred's, but was different model. It was a study in smooth lines and sleek power. It was 30% less bulky then the regular Mark VI Mjolnir armor, and had an updated Version of the Mark V helmet. He had been away at when the Covies glassed Reach, and was now attached to Major Lopa's Hell Jumper Squad. There was animosity at first, but with the loss of Reach and his making of his first combat drop, he had been made an honorary ODST. He had even had the ODST insignia painted on his shoulders and on his fusion power pack. He had picked up Europa when their last ship, the _Morning Dove_ was destroyed at the battle of New Rome. They were now stationed aboard the carrier _Thor's Shadow_, with Captain Amanda Ross.

He pulled off his custom fitted silences Sub Machine Gun from the magnetic clamps on his right hip, and checked the clip. It had been gone over by the supply sergeant, on the _Shadow,_ but one of the first lessons that chief Mendez had taught them was to always check their equipment no matter who told them it was good.

He leveled it, and dashed out from cover to cover, light seeming to bend around his edges a he faded around the fence, and right into a trio of startled grunts. The gun coughed, and the front one dropped as a three round burst pulped its chest. He dug a heel into the loamy soil, and grabbed the breather of the second. He spun and tossed the grunt at the third, both landing in a heap which he finished of with single rounds. A pair of Jackals rounded a rock, not having heard the silenced shots. They squawked as a green orb landed at their feet, and blew them to good. He dashed at the smoking hole in the ground, and hosed the brute with fire, its armor buckling under the slugs. He finished it with a skull shattering blow. He heard an angry roar, and turned to see the second brute charging at him in a rage. He jumped to the side as the rampaging monster tore past. He tumbled and drew his Automag pistol in as he came up into a crouch, unloading the entire magazine into its back. It's armor fell away as it stumbled and fell, digging a furrow out of the soft dirt.

Every Spartan had their quirks and specialties besides being generally proficient with all modes of modern combat. Kelly was fastest, Linda the best sniper, and John was extraordinarily lucky, and a natural leader. Jason's quirk was his affection from old, early 21st century fire arms. This was reflected in his two personal possessions. The first was a exact replica of an M40A3 bolt action rifle tooled to fit the caliber of ammunition used in the S2AM Sniper Rifle. The second was an actual refurbished M79 grenade launcher. The latter was strapped across the back of his waist, while the rifle was clipped to his back. He reached back and unhooked the M79, swung it up and took aim. The round soared past the brute as it jumped sideways. He pooped the release, and the barrel dropped. He popped in a scatter shell in, and with his one arm flipped it closed, Terminator style. He leveled the barrel, and with a loud boom, the brute was nearly cut in half by the overlarge shotgun shell.

He paused, checked his motion tracker, and seeing it was clear, reloaded his three weapons. He turned, and started to scale the duracrete wall, punching handholds into the wall as he climbed.

"What's the status of the rest of the squad?" He asked Europa, who waited for her please, which he delivered after trying to out stubborn her unsuccessfully.

"Major Lopa has secured the west flank , and Lieutenant Jones has managed to repel the first force attempting to take the base. The Major has queried our status and wants to know what's taking so long… energy spike from the north…" his com fuzzed with static and a lance of scarlet energy tore through the front wall and slagged a guard tower on the south wall.

"…amnit! Fornesca, Mahmoud, get some Spankers on that damn thing. Jason, one of the soldiers in that slagged tower had a Spartan Laser. We got to take that damned Locust before it destroys the wall!" Jason Jumped to the next building, sliding on the gravely roof of the barracks and landing on his ass. He rose into a sprint, and jumped into the next, taller building, grabbing an open window ledge that buckled and fell free, dumping him again on his ass. He rose, when Europa got his attention.

"Jason, Drones inbound." She placed a series of markers on his HUD, as he pulled the rifle and pivoted toward the swarm. He raised the gun fired, worked the action, and fired again, dropping the giant insects one by one. After five shots, he pulled out five more, loaded them, and continued. He garnered little attention, as the Drones were manly focused on taking out the remaining guard post. After eight shots, and seven dead drones, he replaced his gun, and dashed to grab the laser. He lifted a section of collapsed roof, and found the Laser, just as a second beam of scarlet light slashed in and shattered the second tower. He turned and scaled the rubble onto the wall quickly, and took aim at the lumbering quadruped in the distance. Two rockets detonated on the beast's shields, dropping them, and the laser blast hit its power core. The Locust staggered, collapsed, and detonated in a mushroom of azure fire.

"Bout friggin time, you better shape up, or I'll bounce your ass out of my squad so fast, not even Europa will be able to track it!" Lopa yelled the empty threat at him, before switching to the command channel. "Jones, round up the surviving marines, then have them bulk up defense of the north wall. Mahmoud, Fornesca, raid the armory and get all the heavy weapons and ammo you can find. Marcus and Moscof, hit the auto shed and find us some transport ton the rendezvous point. Now, ladies, move like you got a purpose!" Jason moved to the R&D shed, and got into the underground service area. He had his orders strait from FleetCom Earth. They already knew that palnet was going to fall, as the one major settlement had been glassed as soon as the Covenant entered the system. He needed to get to the mainframe under the base, and confirm the destruction of the Nav database. (This is just prior to the invasion of Earth.) The elevator slowed, and sighed to a stop, and the doors slid open to reveal a small white room filled with computer equipment. A green blur materialized on his shoulder and slowly focused into the image of girl. She was slender, and slight of bust, with long flowing hair, and a loose sheath stile dress slit up the left leg with a darker green flowering tree on the dress. Alpha numeric code scrolled in deep emerald up and down her frame.

"Do your thing, Eo." She smiled, and brushed her dress strait. She strode down his outstretched arm and onto the IR port of that main consol. All the lights on all the computes blinked wildly as she expanded her personality to blanket the systems.

"Nav data deleted, Jason." She purred, unlocked the hard drive cabinet, and stepped into the palm of his hand. She faded back into her chip in his armor, the cold liquid sensation flowing back into his head.

"Did you miss me?" She queried, just to irritate him, like most of what she said. He ignored it, and walked over to the cabinet, and popped it open. He drew his M79, and cracked it open. He pulled out the grenade round, and slid in a Thermite round, then backed against thee opposite wall. He raised the gun and fired the grenade into the cabinet. Plastic and metal cracked as the paste spread over it and burned it to nothing but ash. He reloaded the launcher, and stowed it, activating his com channel to the Major.

"It's done. Major, the data's all been destroyed."

"Good work, son, get your ass back here, we've secured a few vehicles, and the Covies are ready to make a big push. Make sure to set the charges."

"Already done," Europa interjected, "Com chatter indicates that they're bring out the big guns." The elevator binged as it hit ground level, and Europa put an unnecessary nav beacon on his HUD. He walked into the Vehicle Depot and saw that two Warthogs, two Mongooses, and a Hornet were idling. Jones waved him over to the back of his Gauss Hog, with Lopa riding shotgun. Fornesca and Mahmoud were on the first scooter, with Marcus and Moscof on the second. The rear riders each carried a rocket launcher, and Lopa carried a Spartan Laser. The surviving Marines loaded five into the transport hog, and three more into the hornet, which took of through the opening in the roof. Jones triggered a switch and the rear wall exploded, and he drove out into the plains behind the base.

The Gauss hog crunched through a patch of glass that was previously seven meters of soft grass. The trio of Banshee's swooped low over the ground, strafing them with blue plasma. Marcus braked his scooter, as a blue white sun dropped on top of them and blew soil thirty feet into the air. The scooter fishtailed as it bounced out of the burnt glass crater, two rockets flew from Moscof's launcher, impacting the Wraith that had lobbed the plasma bomb. It belched black smoke, plowed into a strand of trees, and detonated in a massive orange fireball. Three orbs of green energy leapt from the banshees, and the transport hog ceased to exist. That left the two scooters and the Gauss hog, the hornet got blasted by shades before it cleared the roof. The Gauss canon fired and a banshee lost a wing, and did a wing over into its partner, and both spiraled into the dirt. His next shot was dead center on the remaining Banshee, punched strait through, and ripped the pilot to pieces. The hog rolled into a narrow canyon, followed by the two scooters. Both riders fired two missiles each into the walls of the canyon, partially collapsing the walls and blocking any ground vehicles that tried to pursue. Europa suddenly took Jason's com system over, and made a report to all the remaining troops.

"This just in from the Captain: All Covenant vessels have been disabled, but all of our ships have been disabled as well." That was the whole of the message, and the _Shadow's_ signal had just been lost. Looks like were on our own, boys." She faded of the com, and left the rest of the group speechless. They had no time to think about it as a phantom roared over head and got ready to unload the troops.

If Europa could actually read his mind, she was right on target, and set up a timer and route on his HUD.

"Hey, Jones, give me the scooter." Jason said as he jumped down from the Gauss Hog. Jones obeyed, and Fornesca dismounted as well. Jason jumped aboard, and took off at high speed. The grunt manning the plasma turret swiveled and opened fire when a sniper bullet tore its head off. Europa materialized on his shoulder again, as he hit a natural rise, and caught a little air. He jumped off of the seat, and flew through the open side, and into a brute, which braked him and knocked the brute out the other side. He sprayed the interior and remaining grunts with his SMG, while Europa ran across the floor and into the Phantom's controls. He finished killing the remaining Covies, he turned to the controls.

"So, you think you can fly this heap, Eo?" He asked sarcastically. Europa grew out of the console, a disgusting look on her pretty face.

"Uck, this system is so disgusting. There is so much waste here. If I could sleep, I could design a better system in it." Her features reset to a slightly cross looking glare as she turned to look at Jason. "Don't take that tone to me. By my subjective time, I have been piloting ships longer than you have been alive, so don't tell grandma how how to steal chickens. Now, shall we pick up the boys?"

The anti-gravity gear came online automatically as Europa brought the Phantom up through the atmosphere. The rough plan, as outlined and created by Europa, was to try and get a translight engine from the wreckage floating around the planet. But when they got into space, they were immediately hailed by a small frigate that resembled only slightly the standard Covenant frigate.

"According to the Phantoms database, the vessel is a Kig-Yar… Jackal pirate ship not within the Covenant fleet. It's asking if we need help, and they do have a Slipspace drive.

"Blasted Demon, we shall vaporize you where you float." Dohl shouted, when Xhef clamored for his attention.

"Excellency, all or systems have shut down, and all controls are frozen." Dohl turned back to the screen; his jaws hanging lose in indignant rage.

"Well now, doesn't really look like that's going to happen now, does it. Anyway, if what squawky here," Jason held a Jackal ship mistress up to the pickup "says is true, our home has been invaded, and you all have gotten the major boot. Now Eo says that you guys need an Slipspace drive, and it looks like we've got the only one in the system. So, what do you say we parley?"

End chapter 4.


End file.
